Run Away
one.
Charli sat on the uncomfortable, blue, plastic chair, her chin leaning on her fist as she stared at the blank, white wall. Only a few people sat around her, a family to her left and an older woman to her right. It was quiet, too quiet for her liking, and she couldn’t remember the last time she had actually spoken aloud.
The clock on the wall seemed to have stopped; the second hand wasn’t moving anymore. Time had seemingly frozen in place as everyone continued with what they were doing. Nobody had noticed that through all of their worries, time had stopped.
What if that meant their loved ones, the people she assumed they were all waiting for, had just stopped?
She looked up at the clock again, breathing a sigh of relief as the hands started to move once more. She shook her head at the crazy notions that had plagued her mind for the few seconds. Everything was perfectly fine; he would be just fine.
Two nurses walked by talking and laughing about something. They each had a bag in their hands and seemed to be going on break. Charli bit her lip and tapped her foot lightly on the floor, waiting for someone to come out and tell her that everything was alright.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she fished it out quickly, opening up the text.
stop worrying.
Charli took a deep breath and texted her boyfriend’s mother back, telling her that she was calm, even though she wasn’t.
“For Mr. Kessel?”
Charli’s head flipped up from her phone, staring at the doctor who she had talked to before her boyfriend’s operation. She stood up, grabbing her tote, and walked closer to Dr. Norton. Fear had obsessed her body at that moment and she stood rigid in front of him.
“So, everything went perfectly. Phil is just fine and is being moved into his recovery room as we speak. We are confident that we removed all of the cancerous area and we’ll keep him over night as precaution. Other than that, everything is fine. You can go and see him now, he should just be waking up,” Dr. Norton explained, placing a comforting hand on her am and pointing her in the direction of the recovery rooms.
She gave him a bright smile, “Thank you, Dr. Norton. Really, thank you for everything.”
Dr. Norton waved it off, going to talk to the family that had been sitting to her left. Charli grinned to herself as she walked through the doors to the Cancer Ward’s recovery rooms. The nurses’ station was directly in front of her and she walked up to it, moistening her lips and clearing her throat.
“I’m looking for Phil Kessel’s room,” she stated to the nurse.
“Family or friend?” The nurse asked.
Family or friend? Well, she wasn’t technically in his family; they weren’t related in any way. She also wasn’t just his friend. Friend’s didn’t kiss, and cuddle, and… well, they just weren’t friends.
“Uhm. Girlfriend?” Charli asked more than said.
The nurse nodded and pressed a few buttons on the computer, scrolling down with the mouse, “Alright, he’s in room 228. All electronics must be shut off before you head down there, they could interfere with the machines.”
Nodding, Charli quickly pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and turned it off, reaching into her tote and turning Phil’s cell phone off as well.
She headed down the hallways, to the left, towards the four elevators. Pressing the ‘up’ button, the elevator doors to her left opened up empty. She pressed the number 2 and waited the few seconds.
As she exited the elevators she followed the signs to the twenties and stopped as she finally got to room 228. She wiped her hands on her pant legs, as they were sweaty with nerves, and took a deep breath, her hand inching closer to the door knob.
Before she could open it, the door opened and a nurse stood there, looking as surprised as Charli.
“Are you Charli? Phil’s been asking for you, go ahead!” She said happily, moving out of the way and letting Charli into the hospital room.
The nurse left quickly, leaving just Charli and Phil in the room by themselves.
The clock on the wall seemed to have stopped; the second hand wasn’t moving anymore. Time had seemingly frozen in place as everyone continued with what they were doing. Nobody had noticed that through all of their worries, time had stopped.
What if that meant their loved ones, the people she assumed they were all waiting for, had just stopped?
She looked up at the clock again, breathing a sigh of relief as the hands started to move once more. She shook her head at the crazy notions that had plagued her mind for the few seconds. Everything was perfectly fine; he would be just fine.
Two nurses walked by talking and laughing about something. They each had a bag in their hands and seemed to be going on break. Charli bit her lip and tapped her foot lightly on the floor, waiting for someone to come out and tell her that everything was alright.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she fished it out quickly, opening up the text.
stop worrying.
Charli took a deep breath and texted her boyfriend’s mother back, telling her that she was calm, even though she wasn’t.
“For Mr. Kessel?”
Charli’s head flipped up from her phone, staring at the doctor who she had talked to before her boyfriend’s operation. She stood up, grabbing her tote, and walked closer to Dr. Norton. Fear had obsessed her body at that moment and she stood rigid in front of him.
“So, everything went perfectly. Phil is just fine and is being moved into his recovery room as we speak. We are confident that we removed all of the cancerous area and we’ll keep him over night as precaution. Other than that, everything is fine. You can go and see him now, he should just be waking up,” Dr. Norton explained, placing a comforting hand on her am and pointing her in the direction of the recovery rooms.
She gave him a bright smile, “Thank you, Dr. Norton. Really, thank you for everything.”
Dr. Norton waved it off, going to talk to the family that had been sitting to her left. Charli grinned to herself as she walked through the doors to the Cancer Ward’s recovery rooms. The nurses’ station was directly in front of her and she walked up to it, moistening her lips and clearing her throat.
“I’m looking for Phil Kessel’s room,” she stated to the nurse.
“Family or friend?” The nurse asked.
Family or friend? Well, she wasn’t technically in his family; they weren’t related in any way. She also wasn’t just his friend. Friend’s didn’t kiss, and cuddle, and… well, they just weren’t friends.
“Uhm. Girlfriend?” Charli asked more than said.
The nurse nodded and pressed a few buttons on the computer, scrolling down with the mouse, “Alright, he’s in room 228. All electronics must be shut off before you head down there, they could interfere with the machines.”
Nodding, Charli quickly pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and turned it off, reaching into her tote and turning Phil’s cell phone off as well.
She headed down the hallways, to the left, towards the four elevators. Pressing the ‘up’ button, the elevator doors to her left opened up empty. She pressed the number 2 and waited the few seconds.
As she exited the elevators she followed the signs to the twenties and stopped as she finally got to room 228. She wiped her hands on her pant legs, as they were sweaty with nerves, and took a deep breath, her hand inching closer to the door knob.
Before she could open it, the door opened and a nurse stood there, looking as surprised as Charli.
“Are you Charli? Phil’s been asking for you, go ahead!” She said happily, moving out of the way and letting Charli into the hospital room.
The nurse left quickly, leaving just Charli and Phil in the room by themselves.